Lamar Odom and Khloe Kardashian continue to defy all odds by merely staying together. With the two of them relocating to Dallas, filming their own reality show, adjusting to their new lives, and succeeding in their separate careers amid constant paparazzi stalkings, it's pretty amazing that the two seem to be more in love than ever. Quite a contrast to the "fairytale" marriage between Khloe's sister Kim and fellow NBA player Kris Humphries.

But if you think for a minute that Lamar is merely a shadow in the Kardashian-crazed spotlight, as some had felt about Kris (who knew him before Kim?), take note of what went down in Monday's game. Odom, now one of the Dallas Mavericks, faced off against his former team, the LA Lakers, and proved that sports fans love Lamar just as much as reality TV fans love Khloe. You won't believe the reception he got from Lakers fans!

Check out the standing ovation Lamar Odom received from LA Lakers fans:

Not only did Odom get cheers from the fans of a team he no longer plays for, the sold-out Staples Center flashed "Thanks for the memories, Lamar" on the scoreboard, and they even played a tribute video for him!

Stay classy, Los Angeles. Definitely not the kind of reception Cleveland would have given LeBron James.

Perhaps this also gives insight into the reason why Khloe and Lamar have managed to navigate the seemingly impossible maze of reality TV fame (so far). If we were to add the scrutiny of the sports world atop that of Hollywood's feisty rumor mill, Khloe and Lamar might be doomed to fail -- just like Kim and Kris. However, Lamar has been able to make a career for himself and has maintained his own fan base away from the Kardashian empire. He's always been a classy, skilled, loyal player who's easy to root for. Even if Khloe and Lamar split up, I'll bet Jack Nicholson would still stand up and cheer for him.

Kris could learn a thing or two from Lamar. Perhaps if Kris focuses on his game and love for it instead of trying to clean up his image after his headline-fueled split, he could get sports fans (most of whom don't really care about the Kardashians) to sway to his side, so that he too can stand on his own and succeed in his career, just like Lamar.

What do you think of the standing ovation for Lamar? Do you always root for him and Khloe?